


Deceptive Cadence

by IllogicalHuman



Series: Miracles and Menageries [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Female Nori (Tolkien), Female Ori, Injured Bofur, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Sick Character, Worried Bofur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27070309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllogicalHuman/pseuds/IllogicalHuman
Summary: Nori's fever is back and causing problems. Bofur does a lot of thinking.
Relationships: Bofur/Nori (Tolkien)
Series: Miracles and Menageries [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975696
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Deceptive Cadence

**Author's Note:**

> My muse is mean. I'm not sorry.

Bofur supposed he should be grateful it was only his leg that had been shattered, could have been his head, or his hands. He looked down at the gnarled swollen knuckles. He had broken his fingers enough times mining to know he’s lucky to still have two functioning hands. The fact he can still carve he considered a blessing.

Bofur broke from his mushings at the pained whine from the bed beside him. Nori’s fever had come back only a couple of days after she had woken. Leaving the auburn headed thief thrashing in pain and muttering as strange dreams held her under.

Oin had lookd concerned when her chest began to rattle with every breath, a deep cough leaving her weak and groaning in pain as it jostled the arrow wound on her side. He began giving her a stronger mix of the poppy milk, causing her to be almost comatose. They kept her propped up with a mountain of pillows to help keep her lungs clear.

Bofur winced as another coughing fit took over. He had not heard a cough like that since leaving a set of coal mines he had worked alongside some humans over 40 years ago. They called it the black lung. Dwarrow had thankfully been given immunity to things like the black lung. THey had been made for the mines. The dirtiest of coal mines to the jewel mines that shone like the night sky when one held a lantern in their depths.

What Nori had was worse. Oin said the arrow wound had caused infection to spread. Fluid was building where it didn’t belong causing her to cough up all manner of nasty things. The best thing they could do was keep her under.

When Nori began gasping, Bofur looked up in alarm, her face was turning an alarming shade and it sounded like she couldn't get a full breath. A glanced around for help, not seeing anyone else he struggled to sit up on the edge of his on bed.

The plaster and brace kept his leg straight and sturdy, good for mending the bones but still useless for walking. Grabbing the chair between their beds he used it to help lever himself to a standing position, keeping the weight off the broken limb. With a maneuver he wasn't sure he could pull off agan Bofur found himself sitting beside Nori on her bed.

She was still gasping and coughing. Bofur pulled Nori up further until she was leaning against his shoulder and began patting her back like he had seen Oin do, a cupped hand hitting firmly but gently over her left shoulder blade.

Bofur worried over Nori like this for what felt like an eternity, alternating between sides before she finally coughed up whatever had been clogging her lungs. Bofur winced at the wet feeling seeping into his shirt before wiping the worst up with a towel on the bedside table.

Nori’s breathing was still crackling, but sounded clearer and she was no longer coughing and gasping. Unable to return to his own bed, Bofur shifted to take some of the pressure off his leg from the awkward position before settling down on Nori’s mountain of pillows and bringing her to lounge on his lap between his legs. 

He would bring up with Oin that she didn’t need to be left alone if something like this could happen. The thought of her choking and no one being able to help left him feeling cold inside. Bofur reached to the bowl of cool water that had been a constant since the fever returned, wetting the rag and bringing it to Noris face.

She was lovely, had always been beautiful. All the Ri siblings were beautiful, but Nori was it for Bofur. He remembered admiring his friend all the times they ran wild in Ered Luin, getting into more trouble than they probably should. Bifur had thumped him more than once when he had come home after a brawl. Those were times he wouldn’t trade for anything.

He wondered if she felt the same, if they could ever be more than the best of friends. She had found him, delirious with fever and dizzy from a head wound and blood loss she had found him. Crawled in beside him and fell asleep, felt safe with him. He let himself indulge in a kiss to the top of her head as she slept fitfully.

She looked so much smaller with her hair in it’s high peaks. A single simple braid keeping it all contained down her back. Dori came every morning to brush and rebraid it before helping Oin get a simple broth and medicine down her. Her hair was long and thick, flowing down to her hips in a brilliant waterfall. His fingers itched to run his hands through it. Bofur dozed back off, Nori held tight against his chest.

………

When a hand on his shoulder woke Bofur later he looked to find Ori looking down at him. He gave the little lass a pained smile as he felt his leg throb before shifting Nori back up from where more of her weight had settled on it.

“She started coughing again. Couldn’t get it all up, didn’t want to risk going back to me own bed after.”

Ori looked alarmed for a moment before giving Bofur a thankful smile. “Do you want help back to your own bed?”

“Aye, but do you think you could move it over here next to her? I don’t want her to be so far away again.”

Ori’s browns rose in shock before furrowing in thought. “I think I can do that.”

After the furniture had been rearranged Ori helped Bofur out from under her sister to slide back onto his own bed. Bofur let out a sigh as he settled, watching Ori settle Nori back into her nest of pillows and reapplying the damp rag.

“When Dori gets a moment, i'd like to talk to her.”

Ori paused in wiping Noris face, giving Bofur half a glance before continuing. “I think that would be a good idea.”

The silence only stretched a moment before Ori spoke up again. “She used to talk about you. Before. I think you saw more of her than we did for a while. She enjoyed your company, said you were always honest with her. I know she treasured that. I also remember her coming home through my window one night, half naked and spooked.”

Ori gave Bofur a searching look then, but he never took his eyes off Noris face, studying every feature and committing it to memory as if it would be the last time he saw her.

“She was drunk and it woke Dori up. She was in a rage until she saw the look on Noris face. She broke down about how she had messed everything up and the two of you had tumbled. She hid in her room for days after, waiting for you to come by and say something. But you never did.”

“I remember that night,” Bofur finally looked up at Ori, “at least the beginning of it. We got into some awful stuff, I think I ended up drinking most of it. I remember kissing Nori, and her pulling me down. Everything after that is gone. I woke up the next morning starkers with a splitting headache. And alone. I thought Nori was embarrassed. Was afraid I had ruined everything at the time. But she came back around a few months later, same grin on her face and not a word of what happened. Course I still thought she was a he and was not ready to cross certain lines so I didn’t bring it up.”

Ori hummed in thought as she finally heard the other side to the story. “We had to hide at first, after our mother died. It was only the three of us and we were still traveling a lot for trade. It was safer if everyone thinks yer male, you were treated fairer as well. I think Nori just ran with it and never looked back. She enjoyed the freedom. I think she wanted to tell you though. The way she talked about you, I think it bothered her that this was the only thing between you.”

“While I wish she had said something I understand, she was afraid I guess. You never know how some people will react to a truth like that. She’s still the same Nori though, just got something different in her pants.” Bofur let out a laugh, giving Ori a grin. “Nori will wake up soon Ori, don’t you worry non. She’ll be back to her normal self before you even realize it. And not a one of us will be able to catch up.” 

They both looked at Nori, finally resting peacefully as Ori continuously ran the cool rag across her face. Bofur turned as much as his leg allowed, a hand sliding across the space between them before finding Noris, giving it a squeeze before he let sleep take back over.


End file.
